This warning about scams in vacation packages ran in the spring of this year, but it’s still pertinent now, when many people are making travel plans for the holidays.  Here are a few ways to make sure you aren’t taken in by vacation scams!

• Always do business with reputable retailers.  You should only buy Hawaii vacation packages, for instance, from physical travel agencies OR from online companies that you either know of already, or can find positive reviews about on the web.
• Do your research.  Sometimes a deal will pop up online that claims it is only good if you commit to it right now, this second.  This is a tactic that many scammers use to try to pressure you out of using your head.  If the retailer doesn’t want you to think about it first, you ought to be asking yourself, “Why don’t they?”  Never commit to a vacation deal without first researching it and shopping around.
• If it sounds too good to be true, it might be.  You can get some good deals on Maui vacations, but it shouldn’t be such a good deal that the travel agency, hotel, etc. won’t be able to make a profit.  If there isn’t any room for profits in the price, you should be very wary of whether it’s for real!

Now, this is not to say that all Hawaii vacation deals are phonies.  Some of them are quite real.  However, you should always use caution when booking your vacation online.  A reputable travel agency or website won’t mind you checking them out, because they know they have nothing to worry about.  And anyway, better safe than sorry!

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